I have a cottage up north, and until recently, my dog had no problem going inside. For the last couple of months, however, I've had to force him into the cottage. He will go into the living room, bedroom and bathroom, but looks out the door and stares and shakes when he looks into the kitchen. When my partner passed away a year ago, her children asked for part of her ashes. Could this possibly be a problem? Should her ashes be put together? All three of us have part of her ashes in urns.
Astrea:
The great Egyptian God Osiris was torn limb from limb and his body scattered all over Egypt. It's written that until he was unified in body again, he could not regain his power.
Separating your partner's ashes isn't horrible, but it is unfortunately unnatural, so they should probably be put back together. If you don't have any plans for scattering them at some point, or the plan is to wait until you join her, her ashes should be combined in the mean time.
I understand the need for her children to feel close to her by having some of her remains with them, but that's all they are - remains. Her spirit isn't in the ashes, as I'm sure you all know. At the same time, she wouldn't want them divided up between you all either.
Many people like to keep it together,
and I have a feeling that your partner was one of these together people. She's in Heaven now, so she isn't upset that she's split up among you, but it's kind of creepy all the same.
You are obviously feeling like something is wrong with separating her remains in this way, and if you feel it, then you should honor your intuition.
Perhaps you can work something out with the children to share her ashes in a different way. Maybe one of you could keep them with you for a few months, and then pass them on to one of the others. That way, her ashes remain intact but each of you gets them for a period of time each year.
I know the ashes are something that was a part of her that you want to hold onto, for you want to feel that closeness you had to her when she was living. Her death was a shock, and none of you are over it yet. It's nevertheless wise to put all of her ashes in one place to share another way, for unifying is always better than dividing.
Your puppy is reacting to someone or something in your cottage that wasn't there before, but I seriously doubt that it's your partner. There is some darker energy lurking there that should be easily dispelled with a little burning of sage in a white bowl. If you add some cloves and rosemary for harmony, you'll have cleansed the whole cottage!
As always, it's best to do this type of cleansing for energy at the New Moon, but it can be done effectively at other times of the month too. I'm certain this is some kind of random entity that found its way into your cottage, so it should be gone with one cleansing.
*****
Susyn:
Animals can be very sensitive to changes in the psychic atmosphere, so it is definitely important to pay attention to their behavior, especially if they demonstrate reluctance to enter a certain area. An animal that reacts in the manner you describe is indicating that there is a problem.
Assuming nothing else in the cottage has changed, I'd say your suspicion that this is related to your partner's ashes is right on the money. Your dog is more than likely picking up the spirit of your deceased partner, who finds comfort in hanging around the cottage. I would also be willing to bet that the kitchen was your partner's favorite place in the house.
I don't feel the problem has to do with the division of your partner's ashes, however. The remains of a loved one can be separated, shared or even cast over the ocean without negative effects. Imagine the ashes as a bouquet of flowers: Dividing them in order to share with others will only increase their joy.
The next time you take your dog to visit the cabin, encourage him to join you in the kitchen. Sit with him for a time and watch his reactions. Talk to him and assure him that what he is experiencing is only the presence of your partner. As you talk to him in a calm, reassuring voice, he may settle down. Because dogs are often trained to protect and alert their owners to danger, he may simply be trying to find a way to let you know she is there with you.
Your goal is to put his fears to rest by assuring him that you also recognize that something is off center. You may want to show him a picture of your partner and see if his reactions increase or decrease. If they decrease, this will be an additional affirmation of what he is sensing. If they increase, you'll have to work harder to determine what is upsetting him.
If these methods don't calm your dog down, you may have another problem, for he may be sensing an unwanted spirit in your cabin. To clear out strange energy or uninvited entities, you'll want to smudge the cabin or the room he is most afraid of using a sage smudge stick.
The good news is that no matter what your dog is sensing, you'll know immediately by his reactions if the situation has been rectified or not. Once you have assured him that you also realize your partner is there, and you have cleared any other disturbances from the cabin, I'm sure he'll settle down.
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!
I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.